The Ice Pick Cure: Dr. Freeman's LobotomyHow a brutal brain surgery became a celebrated treatment.

From the show

Historically Bad Advice

Discover the shocking story of the prefrontal lobotomy, a procedure once hailed as a miracle for mental illness. American neurologist Dr. Walter Freeman championed this quick, crude surgery, severing connections in the brain with a tool resembling an ice pick. This method, performed on thousands, often left patients with devastating personality loss or worse. We explore how such a destructive procedure was celebrated, revealing a desperate time in the history of mental health care before effective medication existed.